Company History

The Beginning (2000-2006)

Technically, TriMark was the first internet marketing-focused firm in Raleigh, NC (that we are aware of). In August, 2001 our Founder, Randy Goins, at 21 years of age, envisioned a marketing firm built to offer media consulting & event planning services to clients. The company name, which was originally Triangle Marketing Solutions, we shortly thereafter shortened to TriMark Solutions. With nothing but his original TriMark business cards as proof of establishing the company, Randy received a job offer from an up and coming local search engine directory, Citysearch.com. So, TriMark was put on the backburner and Citysearch.com became Randy's primary focus.

During his 5 years at Citysearch.com, Randy grew his client list from 25 storefronts locally to over 5000 nationally. Randy also drastically helped to improve the California-based company improve its local reputation and customer service. While at Citysearch, Randy had the opportunity to better understand the strategy from the search engine backend side of things. This allowed him to become to so many of his local and national clients, what they have described as an "honest, passionate media buying and consulting professional, regularly participating in media presentations from competing advertising companies in print, web, yellow pages and radio/television meetings."

As TriMark sat stagnant, Goins continued to master his craft at Citysearch and began to recognize a shift in his passion from selling to consulting. The year was 2004 and SMB websites were beginning to surface and become more popular, so by chance, Goins was introduced to a local web design firm, and the process of helping Citysearch clients with web design needs began. Shortly thereafter, Goins started researching email marketing software solutions to aid him in the continued servicing and communication of his client base. Through this process, a still strong partnership with The Marketing Machine, a local creative design shop, was born. Through the process of managing over 800 client contacts via email marketing software, Goins decided it was time to make an investment into the email marketing industry and offer email marketing services and software usage to local businesses through TriMark.

A legitimate moonlighting operation, Goins continued to maintain his Citysearch clients during the day while working to build TriMark in the evenings. During this time, Goins would say sleep "became a commodity only available to him from time-to-time".

Throughout this timeframe, there were periods when Goins would spend 20+ hours per day for 7 days per week at his desk, sacrificing most everything in his life to see what could come of TriMark. Remaining loyal to Citysearch, TriMark services at this time were structured to compliment the Citysearch products. Therefore, email marketing, consulting, & search engine friendly web design became TriMark, and in January 2006, TriMark gained its first official web design client, Salon Kroma. For the next 18 months, Goins served as the project manager for all web design projects, and outsourced project design to friends and recommended local designers/developers. On May 31, 2006, Goins and Citysearch ended a very successful 5 years together and on June 1, 2006 TriMark was in business full time! Although uncertain of the decision, and slightly stunned to have walked away from an attractive 6-figure annual salary, it had become obvious that the passion TriMark would be built on would eventually create financial success for both the TriMark and its respected clients.

The Learning Years (2006-2008)

All along and through the first year in business, Goins recognized that he must begin thinking about hiring if his dream of building a world class, full service in-house web design & internet marketing firm were to come to life. So, in May 2007 TriMark was introduced to Eric Miller, a recent UNC graduate from Beulaville, NC. Eric was hired and became TriMark's first full time, in-house employee. The decision to hire Miller quickly became the right move, as confidence soared and understanding, learning, collaboration, and teamwork became qualities the small work-from-home business could stand behind. With Miller on the TriMark team, the company was able to show gross revenue growth of over 200% in 2007. Because of this success, Goins was now determined to hire employee #3 and begin focusing more attention on Search Engine Marketing services such as paid search and SEO. TriMark's search for #3 lead us to Daniel Hurst, a Clemson University graduate from Spartanburg, SC who relocated to Raleigh to join Goins on his Internet Marketing team.

It is because of Eric & Daniel, Goins claims, that the company is where it is today. "It's very rare for a young business's first two employees, entry level at that, to help mold a company in the manner in which those guys were able to mold TriMark. Daniel and Eric were both able to bring to TriMark organization skills which proved to be irreplaceable, when looking back."

With the addition of Daniel and the beginning of what would prove to be one of the most successful quarters TriMark has ever had, Goins started the process of relocating the young company from his home to an official office space. After several months of searching, a small retail space just minutes from TriMark original office was found. This new space offered TriMark an opportunity to grow at a consistent pace throughout the next several years. Goins notes and also credits Ryan Kane as a ''Super Intern" who spent the summer of 2008 helping TriMark in many ways, and who also helped ease the financial fear of continued company growth.

Towards the end of 2008, TriMark began the proactively interviewing for multiple positions, adding Jake Tomberlin on as its 4th full-time employee and the 3rd member of its internet marketing team. Jake brought to TriMark years of professional experience as well as an overall understanding of the internet marketing industry. The acquisition of Tomberlin proved to be ideal, as the final quarter of 2008 will always be remembered as the beginning of who TriMark is today, as the company entered into the opportunity of a lifetime with the Nation's Largest Window Replacement Company, Window World.

The Growing Year (2009)

Entering into the company's 3rd full year in business, TriMark was more prepared than ever to grow, welcoming new clients and serving existing clients with a level of promptness and customer service Goins felt most of TriMark's competitors simply were not capable of offering. TriMark's passion for Paid Search Strategy & Management began to develop during the early part of 2009 as the company was recognized by Google on April 11, 2009 as a Google Qualified Company. This accomplishment, at the time, was the most challenging and sought after accomplishment in the history of TriMark and it motivated the company to take its customer service and marketing strategy to a level that only the best of the best can compete with. Throughout the 2009 calendar year, TriMark's internal marketing and development teams doubled in size, as did the number of clients TriMark represented. TriMark's strategy grew from regional to national as the company represented over 150 clients in over 42 states as of December, 2009.